1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toilet lid lock and more particularly pertains to toilet lid locks which may be used to lock a toilet lid and thereby prevent the accidental drowning of youngsters.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Safety experts have long attempted to alert the public to an often overlooked tragic reality, that the home is the single most dangerous environment to which we are regularly exposed. Children are a particularly susceptible class of individual with respect to household accidents. With Drowning is one of the major causes of injury or death to children. Since 1973, over 300 children have drowned in household bathtubs, basins, buckets, and toilet bowls. Accordingly, inventors have sought to reduce the inherent risk of such items through employment of locking devices on toilet bowl lids and by utilizing other safety devices.
The use of toilet lid locks is known in the prior art. More specifically, toilet lid locks heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of locking toilets are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
The present invention is directed to improving devices for toilet lid locks in a manner which is safe, secure, economical and aesthetically pleasing.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,641 to Selman discloses a toilet lid safety lock comprising a counter-weighted pivoting arm device with an automatic locking and unlocking mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,395,784 to Foster describes a toilet seat and lid safety lock comprising a lock-block with a spring-actuated hinge to restrain the toilet lid.
Another patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,551 to Gardner disclosing a toilet seat lid lock comprising a special hinge arm and locking base affixed to the toilet lid.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,470 to Grenell describes a toilet lid lock mechanism which comprises a control shoe mounted on the toilet lid and a lid control arm which extends from the control shoe.
Yet another patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,070 to Kimber disclosing a toilet lid lock comprising a strap mechanism for securing the toilet lid to the toilet bowl exterior.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,736,472 to Buckshaw describes an automatically relocking hinge mechanism affixed to the front of the toilet bowl for restraining the toilet lid.
The toilet lock mechanisms mentioned above, while sufficient for their intended usages, do not specifically address the requirements for a toilet lock to be used where toilet use is frequent and primarily by adults.
The present invention unlike the others above, has no internal or covert parts. The whole is accessible and easy to disassemble and clean as necessitated by modern hygiene requirements.
All the parts in the present invention are either corrosion resistant, or shrouded in soft plastic or both. This protects the toilet porcelain from scratches and rust, and reduces the likelihood of any pinches or cuts to the body from sharp edges. There is an absolute minimum of moving parts and a resultant ease of maintenance.
Another important aspect of the present invention is that the device is free and clear of the toilet lid when unlocked. This also saves wear and tear on the toilet.
Lastly, the spring tension and locking mechanism may be adjusted. This is beneficial because the locking mechanism can be adjusted to prohibit unsupervised use by a child, but can be set so that an infirm adult can unlock the toilet.
This adjustability brings about another benefit. Since the present invention may be adjusted to keep children out of the toilet, the unlocking mechanism need not be located in an hard-to-access location. It is located within easy reach of the user.
In this respect, the toilet lid lock according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of toilet lid locks used in environments where toilet use is predominantly by adults or under adult supervision.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved toilet lid lock which can be easily used and cleaned. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.
As illustrated by the background art, efforts are continuously being made in an attempt to devise an easy to use and clean toilet lid lock. No prior effort, however, provides the benefits attendant with the present invention. Additionally, the prior patents and commercial techniques do not suggest the present inventive combination of component elements arranged and configured as disclosed and claimed herein.
The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objects, and advantages through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements, with the use of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, and by employing only readily available materials.